Rogers, House approve data center ratepayer protections
U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers voted for the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340) to prevent data centers from passing electricity costs onto rural Kentuckians. The bill aims to ensure data centers cover the full incremental costs of electric system upgrades required to serve them and now advances to the Senate for consideration.
U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers announced his vote for the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340), emphasizing its purpose to safeguard rural American ratepayers from bearing the electricity costs associated with data centers. Citing "multiple data center proposals in Southern and Eastern Kentucky," Rogers stressed the necessity of legislative "guardrails" to prevent additional expenses on utility bills for families and businesses in the region.
The Act amends the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, establishing a federal standard for recovering the full incremental costs of electric system upgrades required by large-load customers like data centers. This legislative action follows President Donald Trump's earlier Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which garnered over 300 signatures nationwide, including several Kentucky utility companies, to ensure data center development costs are not shifted to consumers. The bill has passed the House and now awaits consideration in the Senate.